After Falling
by tsuri-chan
Summary: dcmksecretsanta2019 - This is my present for elfchensdcartblog: How Heiji reacts after his failed confession to Kazuha at Kurogane Lake and what will happen when they get involved in another case during their train ride back home. One-Shot.


**After Falling**

Heiji and Kazuha were standing at Kurogane Lake.

"Why did you bring me here, Heiji?" Kazuha asked when they arrived. "If you're planning to show me another weird monster, give me a break."

Heiji knew that she was irritated. "No, idiot!" he answered, becoming just as irritated by her stupid comment. "I'll only say it once, so listen closely." Heiji blushed and looked away from Kazuha for a moment. Then, he looked back at her nervously. "Listen, Kazuha."

She nodded, still being a little confused of what was going on. "Okay."

The sun rose and the lake blazed in his whole beauty. It was a stunning view to both of them and the moment, Heiji has been waiting for. It was just as beautiful as he had hoped it would be. Everything seemed perfect to him. He was sure, he had found the better place for his confession than Shinichi did.

"The morning sun turned the surface of the lake gold." Kazuha blushed.

Heiji understood that this had to be the solution of the case. "That's it. That's what it means." He said, but Kazuha didn't understand him.

"In the morning and evening sun, two thousand jars glitter with a thousand golden cans. The name 'Kurogane' refers to the metal jars. In other words, the lake itself is a metal jar. When the light from the rising and setting sun strikes the lake, it turns gold and the waves look like coins scattered across the surface." Heiji explained.

"Really?" Kazuha now understood what he meant, but still being stunned by the beauty of the lake.

"But that's not what I came to talk about." Heiji continued.

Kazuha was confused.

Heiji turned towards her. "I didn't realize it until the incident at the Ebisu Bridge, but it seems I… have…"

However, before he was able to to come to his point, he got interrupted by several soldiers of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. With this, he decided not to confess his love for her. The moment was destroyed anyways.

"So, what were you going to say?" Kazuha asked, surrounded by soldiers.

"You were right. I was just going to say that gruel does taste better when you mix the egg into it." He answered, thinking how this could happen and how Yokomizo could be so stupid to call these guys.

"At least Kazuha is satisfied with that answer." He thought, being completely irritated by the whole situation, still not believing how this was possible to happen.

As grumpy as Heiji now was, he went back to Ran and Conan with Kazuha following him.

Conan, who watched the whole scene, had to try really hard to hold back his laughter. Heiji just looked at him in anger before they decided to drive back to Tokyo again.

When they were finally back, Heiji and Kazuha went straight to the train station to take the next train to Osaka. Heiji was still very frustrated over the outcome of his failed confession and didn't talk much at all. Kazuha wondered what was wrong with him since they were standing at Kurogane Lake.

"Heiji?" Kazuha asked worried.

He was absent-minded and looked out of the window.

Kazuha rolled her eyes, wondering what's up with him. "Heiji? What's wrong?"

"Umm, oh, nothing. I'm just thinking about the… umm, case." He looked at her, hoping that would be enough for her to be satisfied. Heiji didn't understand how he could be so unlucky to fail with his confession because of such a stupid reason and it triggered him that Shinichi saw him in that position.

Suddenly, the train stopped, a scream was heard and Heiji was ripped out of his thoughts.

"What was that? Why did the train stop?" Kazuha was confused.

Heiji's mood became worse again. "Can we just move on, please?! I just want to come home." He thought, looking out of the window and saw shocked people standing at the platform. The police arrived and the platform became cordoned off. Now, the scene caught his interest. He stood up from his seat and went outside the train.

"Heiji?" Kazuha ran after him and when she reached him, he was already talking to the police. She walked towards him. "Heiji, what happened here?"

"Kazuha, go to our seats again. I'll be back after solving the case." He answered.

Kazuha looked into the track bed and saw a dead woman lying there. She was frightened by the view of her crushed head and all the blood.

"Boy, get back into the train and let us do the work. It won't take long until your ride will go on since this is a clear case of suicide." The inspector told.

Heiji noticed a gel nail laying on the ground. He looked at the victim's nails and realized, they looked identically. "You really think it was a suicide? Why would the victim get rid of her nail before falling to her death?"

"Boy, please let us do our job. Get back into the train!"

But Heiji didn't listen to him. Instead, he asked all the eyewitnesses for hints.

"A man was with her. I watched them both since they had an argument and were basically screaming at each other." One of the witnesses said. "I want to travel with this train, but I'm not allowed to get into it yet and I stopped watching them because I got a video call from my mother."

Heiji went back to the inspector. "Mister, don't you think it would be good to find out who's the culprit? The victim and her companion had an argument before her death and one of her nails was found. I think this must be murder."

"Boy, who are you to come up with such a conclusion? Let us professionals do our job and get back into the train. And take your girlfriend with you, I think she's frightened."

"I'm Heiji Hattori, the great detective of the West and she's not my girlfriend!" He told him, blushing.

"Heiji Hattori, I read about you in the newspapers. In that case, we are glad to receive your help." The inspector shook his hand.

"You need to find the man who was with the victim before she died. The chance is very high, that he is the culprit." Heiji told him.

With this, the inspector and the other policemen left for finding the man. Heiji and Kazuha were left alone at the crime scene.

"Heiji, can we just get back into the train? I'm tired." Kazuha asked, still frightened and wondering how they can get in such a situation again.

"Kazuha, don't annoy me. I'll solve the case and then we can get back into it or you just go without me." He answered.

"Idiot, I won't get in there until you're done."

A few minutes later, the police came back with the man they were looking for.

"Let me go! I didn't kill that woman; I don't even know her!" He said.

"Then tell us why she carries a photo of you in her purse?!" The inspector asked him.

This was enough for him to take his knife and then he ran towards Kazuha with it.

Heiji was in shock and tried to stop him, but it wasn't necessary as Kazuha stopped him herself and took away his knife.

The man was now more than just triggered. "You know what? I killed her. That bitch told me she wants to live no longer. She had a lot of debts since she lost all her money on the stock exchange. Our relationship suffered because she lost her job in the grocery store after stealing some goods and money." He was in anger and stepped away from Kazuha. "But you know what?" He looked at the inspector and Heiji. "I did it for her best! She wanted to die, and I relieved her of that terrible life! I did it because I love her and now, she's at a better place!"

With this, Heiji lost all his patience. "Are you kidding me?! You killed her because of love?! Are you really telling me if Kazuha has problems and really needs me because she feels hopeless and doesn't want to be any longer, that I help her by killing her?!"

Kazuha blushed by his words.

"I don't think your girlfriend is at a better place now and you know that as well. I would always be there for Kazuha if she needs me and if you would really love her you would have done the same! You may have stopped her terrible life, but now, you will have a terrible life as well."

When they were back into the train and they continued their ride about 30 minutes later, Kazuha asked him about what he said before: "Heiji? Did you mean what you said?"

"What do you mean?" He said while looking outside the window, blushing.

"Well, you basically said that you love me…"

"Umm, well… probably… who knows."

Kazuha blushed again. "Well, if you did, I think it was very cute." She leaned against him and kissed his cheek.

With this, Heiji turned towards her kissing her back.


End file.
